Contact: Karen Brasher

STARKVILLE, Miss.—The public is invited to kick off the holiday season at the upcoming University Florist open house at Mississippi State. Centrally located at 100 Lee Blvd., the shop will host the special event this Friday [Nov. 20] from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Bulldogs can stop in to find MSU gifts and see everything the 85-year-old MSU floral institution has to offer. The University Florist features Mississippi-made wares including McCarty pottery and Wolfe Studio’s ceramic birds. Select Christmas décor will be discounted 20 percent, and visitors will be eligible to receive one of three door prize giveaways.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, masks will be required in the store and only six patrons will be allowed in the store at any given time.

“We are all ready for a celebration. We are excited to kick off the holiday season with some great ornaments, home décor and special gift selections. We look forward to seeing our faculty, staff and fellow Bulldogs stop in for our open house,” said Taylor Bowden, florist manager.

A retail shop operated by the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University Florist serves as a practicum for student employees who are horticulture majors enrolled in the floral management concentration.

Mississippi State is one of only a few universities in the nation offering retail training for students pursuing a degree in floral management. For more, visit florist.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.